Housing facility for homeless veterans in Springfield gets makeover

Photo by John Suchocki / The RepublicanThe Springfield chapter of Rebuilding Together celebrated the completion of interior and exterior renovations of this house at 52 Maple Court that will be transitional home for 12 homeless veterans. The house is managed by the Western Massachusetts Bilingual Veterans Outreach Association.

SPRINGFIELD – Suffering from a back injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Pedro Feliciano headed home this year after a seven-month tour in Iraq.

But when he arrived, he realized he had no home to which he could return.

“I don’t have a lot of family. My family was my unit in Iraq, and I had to leave them behind. There was no room for me at my mother and father’s house. So I came here,” Feliciano said.

The facility received a major makeover this summer, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Sears Holding Corp. and other donations from private businesses, big and small, and lots of sweat equity by local volunteers.

Elected officials and dozens of others turned out for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, state Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti, D-West Springfield, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and others.

“In a country of such bounty ... There should never be homeless veterans,” Neal said.

Gumersindo Gomez, director of the veterans’ outreach group, said the newly-refurbished home is the only one of its kind in the city.

Colleen Loveless, director of the Rebuilding Together chapter, said veterans pay rent and stay there while receiving counseling services and help finding jobs.

“It’s a soft landing for them,” she said.

Inside the two-story home, there are a dozen private rooms, plus a common kitchen and sitting area with a television and laundry facilities.

“I don’t think there was one area of this house that wasn’t touched,” in the renewal initiative, Loveless said.